Record largemouth bass caught

A Post Falls man posted the state’s record catch-and-release largemouth bass.

J.J. Schillinger of Post Falls landed the record largemouth bass in an October tournament in North Idaho, according to Idaho Fish and Game.

The department verified the results and released confirmation of the record this month.

Schillinger was competing in the Panhandle Bass Anglers Fall Open tournament, Oct. 19, when he hooked the 25-inch bass in Cave Lake. The lake along Highway 3 near Medimont is one of a dozen chain lakes along the Coeur d’Alene River, most of which are known for quality largemouth fishing.

The lakes can be reached by boat from Lake Coeur d’Alene via the confluence of the Coeur d’Alene River near Harrison, or various boat launches including one near Medimont.

Schillinger’s new record bass beats the previous record of 23.75 inches set by Dale Stratton in May 2017, at Sawyers Pond, which is near Emmett.

Catch-and-release records were first available in 2016 and are based on the total length of the fish. While most of the fish are not weighed, Schillinger’s bass was weighed at 9.7 pounds during the tournament weigh-ins. Idaho’s official certified weight record largemouth bass was logged at 10.9 lbs, and caught in Anderson Lake by Mrs. M. W. Taylor, according to the Idaho record book. The date of the catch is not listed. Anderson Lake is another of the Coeur d’Alene River chain lakes. It is located on the south side of the river near Harrison.

Schillinger’s catch-and-release record marked the second time in a month that catch-and-release records fell in Idaho. Last month 8-year-old Sagle resident Sophie Egizi caught a 36.5-inch Lake Pend Oreille Gerrard rainbow trout.